[shuttertalk]

I saw this interesting conversation over on dpreview - apparently there's this term referred to as "chimping" to "describe the habit of checking every photo on the on-camera display (LCD) immediately after capture." I didn't know such a term existed, but it has a derogatory connotation because it implies that the photographer is so absorbed in admiring their photos and showing it off to people. (Oooh! Oooh! Aaah!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimping

Personally I don't think it's wrong and I think it should be encouraged (checking photos that is, not admiring and showing off photos). IMHO, the former habit will allow you to check if the image was good or whether you need a re-shoot; the latter will lead to lost opportunities and people getting sick of you pronto.

So, do you chimp?

[EnglishBob]

I tend to shoot 2-3 shots, check exposure then won't check again until i am done at that location.

I guess a good indicator is that auto-review is disabled on all my cameras!

[adam]

I'm a compulsive chimper

[Keith Alan]

I never understood (or believed) those who say they never chimp.
What's the point in shooting digital if you're not going to take advantage of one of it's best features?


As you all know I shoot at night a lot.
Long exposures don't show accurately on the screen during preview beyond a certain point, so chimping is mandatory.

[matthew]

I have auto-review turned off, because I do find that it delays me taking the next shot. I'd say that if I'm in a technically demanding situation (night, flash) I'll check every shot until I have the settings dialed in. If I'm just shooting for my own entertainment, or can trust my settings without needing to verify them (if I'm in Av or Tv modes under normal conditions) then I usually don't look at the results until it's time to move on. I'm not always happy with the results that I see, but I think of it as training my instincts.

[Keith Alan]

Matthew has stated the rest of my feelings on the subject very well.
In any semi-auto mode, I trust my camera's exposure metering completely.
It rarely disappoints me.

I was embarrassed at how long it took me to discover that you can zoom-in while chimping to check the focus, subject to the limits of your LCD's resolution.
It can expose any big errors.

I wish I could turn auto-review off.
Newer Sony cameras have this feature as well as a way to set how long the just-shot image is displayed.
I borrowed one that let me set it to a "Super Chimp" of (I think) 3 seconds.

Here's a rare double-chimp I caught in October 2006.
He was looking at his own LCD when his lady passed her camera to him for the verdict on her shot.
An irresistable moment for a candid photo.

[Banded Drake]

I almost always chimp . But i am mainly checking my histogram more than the shot. But when i am shooting sports i will chimp a little bit more when there is a goal or some other action that i was hoping to catch. I see nothing wrong with looking at the shot , why would it be wrong ? isnt this one of the best things about digital ?
I think its a great thing to shot people there pics while shooting portraits too . It gives them more confidence, you should see how a model will loosen up when they see there shots .

all of this to say .. Chimp until you cant Chimp anymore LOL ....

..... Shawn

[shuttertalk]

I have auto-review on so I always do a quick glance, mainly for exposure, and if it's a shot with people in it, to make sure that I didn't catch them with half-closed eyes.

Today I was taking some indoor shots with my flashgun at a party and realised (through chimping) that my flash wasn't firing fully - it flashed, but was a consistently weak burst, so the exposure was really dark and I was able to pick up on it.

[Toad]

I usually do a very quick glance at each shot (2 second display set) just to check for disasters - but I will review it in more detail if I think it is an *important* shot.

[wulinka]

I do "chimp", and at the wedding I shoot last year the brides mother made a (not unfriendly) remark about it, too. I do it to quickly check if the result isn't way off what I wanted and I am glad I have this possibility. It has helped me tremedously in the learning process.
When I shoot with my little "oldy" camera using film, I have to bracket much more often, and then am still often disappointed at the outcome...

[Irma]

I'm a compulsive chimper

The same here....

[NT73]

Uh, uh.

[navis01]

The screen on my 300D is so small I yearn for a better chimping experience!! If I am in a quick shoot environment I turn off auto review so it does not distract me or tempt to chimp and waste time or miss a shot. If I am doing nature photography or macro for example then I tend to chimp compulsively checking the histogram and focus etc. Often though what looks OK on the tiny preview screen is not on the computer...